Forbes Travel Guide performs independent, incognito inspections of all hotels we rate. This is what we paid when we stayed at this hotel.

Rates can vary widely by room type and season. "We Paid" is intended to give a general sense of price, but you might find considerably different rates for your trip.

When we book, we aim for the optimum season for the destination, but we avoid holidays and major public events, when prices are highest. We generally book a room at one category up from the most basic.

We take advantage of promotional rates, when possible. That means the rate you see above might have included other benefits, such as spa or meal credits.

Spa du Sureau

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Four-StarThese are exceptional properties, offering high levels of service and quality of facility to match.

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Decorated throughout in charming art deco style, there are only three treatment rooms (all with iPhone docks) and one wet room at the petite Spa du Sureau. The star, however, is the decadent double treatment room with its black marble fireplace, two massage tables separated by translucent drapes, lounge chairs and Jacuzzi.

The spa also features a Hydrostorm shower system — one of only a handful in the country — that uses aroma and color therapy aquatics. The treatment menu includes traditional European Kur baths which features marine hydrotherapy and mineral rich baths and uses only top-notch ingredients, such as moor mud from the Czech Republic, touted for its high concentration of vitamins and minerals.

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Our Inspector's Highlights

• While you fill out your spa visitor information, you can enjoy a spoonful of wild elderberry honey meant to cleanse your palate and begin the relaxation process.

• Spa du Sureau’s philosophy is simple: Pampering a comforting, unfussy Old World-style. In practical terms this means lots of herbal infusions in oils and baths, traditional massage methods, as well as aromatherapy and thalasso therapy — treatments using seawater.

• The rustic spa’s standout treatments embody these ideals nicely. Spa du Sureau offers several traditional Kneipp herbal baths as well as old-fashioned European kurs, which are mineral muds used for centuries for their health benefits — eliminating toxins and nourishing the nervous system.

• You’ll also find a water-based massage called Hydrostorm that washes your body in currents.

• It’s not a spa for those who love trendy ingredients and cutting edge chemicals, but the time-tested therapies and natural methods feel fresh.

Things to Know

• The best way to get an appointment at the luxurious Spa du Sureau is simply to email or call.

• Remember that the petite spa asks that you arrive at least 15 minutes before your appointment.

• The boutique spa is calm, quiet and only works with a few guests at a time. We recommend booking your luxe treatment at least a few weeks ahead of time.

• When you make your reservation, let them know if you have a preference for your therapist’s gender, since staff is limited.

• Also, if you’d like to use the spa’s sauna after your treatment, Spa du Sureau needs to know before you arrive.

The Treatments

• The enchanting duet massage involves two masseuses simultaneously working their magic on you, using rhythmic strokes and reflexology. If your idea of heaven is an hour-long massage with a single masseuse, you must try this one — you’ll never want to go back to just one pair of hands.

• Eastern Europeans have taken natural kurs for generations and at this Four-Star spa, you can indulge in the tradition that is known for its health benefits. The thermal mineral kur combines three treatments (green tea and Balneo-Peat wrap, Hydrostorm and classic massage) to balance your metabolic system as well as relax and re-mineralize your skin.

• Kneipp herbal bath is one of the most unusual services on the menu. You’ll soak in a concentrated blend of aromatic essential oils designed to revive your body and give you more energy.

• The moment you step foot inside the ultimate thermal shower, you’ll be enveloped by aroma-infused steam. While alternating hot and cold sprays, massaging cascades of water and even artificial raindrops stream over you, the Hydrostorm relieves muscle tension.

• If you elect to have the elderberry bliss facial, your aesthetician will use organic elderflowers, sweet milk, calendula and rose oil for hydrated and glowing skin. At the same time, a heated sachet full of native wildflowers will be applied to relax your neck and shoulders, and at the end of the facial, you’ll get a mint spritz to refresh and awaken you.

The Facilities

• Enter the sleek glass-walled and wood-lined sauna covered in aromatic oil from your treatment and let your skin absorb the rich moisture. The dry heat will help you sweat out any toxins, not to mention making your stresses melt away.

• The grand spa bath is in the center of Spa du Sureau’s master treatment room. You can receive a variety of treatments while relaxing in this beautiful marble tub with room to spare. The warm surroundings, with a fireplace and framed art, will make you feel at home, but better.

• After your massage, bath or facial is over, you’ll be taken to the sunny relaxation room. There, while seated on a plush chair, you’ll be served the house tea on ice with fresh raspberries and mint, along with two chocolate-covered madeleine cookies.

• The relaxation area at Spa du Sureau is luxurious yet utterly simple. In the small, private alcove, you’ll lounge on one of the two deep, overstuffed chairs, set up to take advantage of the spa’s warmest and sunniest area.